The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2015-12-11.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate his Department has made of the number of people whom the Social Action, Responsibility and Heroism Act 2015 has encouraged and enabled to play a more active role in civil society.
Dominic Raab
The Act only came into force on 13 April 2015. As is normal practice, a formal assessment of its impact may be carried out after three to five years.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fiona Bruce on 2016-01-21.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether the Government has formulated plans to assist a mass humanitarian emergency response if instability were to occur in North Korea.
Mr Hugo Swire
All humanitarian crises are assessed on a case by case basis, along with any potential role for UK intervention.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Danny Kinahan on 2016-02-19.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has taken steps to disseminate the findings of the study, The impact of classroom design on pupils’ learning, by Professor Barrett of Salford University, published in July 2015, to (a) primary schools, (b) secondary schools and (c) sixth form colleges.
Nick Gibb
The Department continuously monitors literature published on the built environment as it relates to schools. Where relevant, the findings from this literature inform the development of the Department’s guidance on design and maintenance[1]. The Department uses this guidance to communicate with contractors, designers, schools and sixth form colleges about the standards in class room design.
Professor Barrett has met with officials from the department to discuss the findings of his research. Professor Barrett’s recommendations regarding daylight, temperature and air-quality in schools reinforce those already made in the Education Funding Agency’s (EFA) Building Bulletins and the requirements in EFA’s Facilities Output Specification, used in procuring many new school buildings.
[1] https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/school-building-design-and-maintenance
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2016-03-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when he expects the next NATO-Russia Council to take place.
Mr David Lidington
NATO is continuing to discuss options for a potential meeting of the NATO-Russia Council. For the UK, we would need to be convinced that any discussions are in the security interests of the Alliance and do not mark a return to business as usual.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Berkeley on 2016-04-21.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the answer by Lord Bridges of Headley on 19 April (HL Deb, col 543) on government grant agreements, whether an academic research institution which is also a charity and is in receipt of government funding from research councils will be covered by the proposed anti-lobbying clauses expected to be introduced in grant agreements from 1 May.
Lord Bridges of Headley
As the Minister for the Cabinet Office the Rt Hon Matthew Hancock made clear on 27 April, we are committed to protecting taxpayers’ money from being wasted on government lobbying government. We are pausing the implementation of this clause into grant agreements, pending a review of the representations made.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rebecca Long Bailey on 2016-06-06.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when his Department first knew of the possible psychotic side effects of Lariam form of mefloquine.
Mark Lancaster
A review of archived policy documents indicates that the Ministry of Defence was aware of these possible side effects from at least 1997 onwards.
It should be noted that all anti-malarial drugs can cause adverse reactions in some individuals. It is therefore Defence policy that they should only be prescribed after an individual risk assessment, to ensure an individual can tolerate the medication. Should side effects be experienced, these are to be reported immediately to a medical officer or GP, who may stop the drug and prescribe an alternative if necessary.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Craig Whittaker on 2016-09-02.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prisoners serving a mandatory life sentence have been released early from prison in each of the last 10 years.
Mr Sam Gyimah
A life sentence is mandatory for murder. A life sentence must also be imposed for a second, very serious, specified violent or sexual offence – for example, manslaughter, GBH with intent, rape, and sexual assault on a child under 13 – unless the court finds that there are particular circumstances relating to the offence or the offender which would make it unjust to do so.
Under a life sentence, the offender must serve the full minimum term imposed by the court before being considered for release on life licence by the Parole Board, which will only release an offender if and when it considers it safe to do so. Where a whole life order is imposed the offender is not eligible for parole.
The number of life sentences imposed in each of the last ten years can be found on gov.uk.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness McIntosh of Pickering on 2016-10-10.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what will be the status in the UK of EU legal instruments to which the UK agrees between the bill to repeal the European Communities Act 1972 receiving royal assent and the UK leaving the EU.
Lord Bridges of Headley
The Government will bring forward legislation in the next session that, when enacted, will repeal the European Communities Act 1972 on the day we leave the EU. This ‘Great Repeal Bill’ will end the authority of EU law and return power to the UK.
The Government will set out the content of the Bill and its implications in due course.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Pugh on 2015-11-18.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many heads of academies are paid more than the Prime Minister.
Nick Gibb
The data provided to the Department by schools in the November 2014 School Workforce Census shows that 52 head teachers in academy schools in England were paid a salary of £142,500 or more.
Of the other roles within the scope of the School Workforce Census, there were fewer than five teachers in academies receiving a salary of £142,500 or more.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Ahmed on 2015-12-10.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the incidence of domestic violence and rape against wives from Asia, and whether in making that assessment they have identified any trend.
Lord Bates
This government is committed to tackling violence against women and girls. We want victims to have the confidence to report these crimes, knowing they will get the support they need and that everything will be done to bring offenders to justice.
The 2014/15 Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) estimates that 6.1% of adults aged 16 to 59 experienced any form of domestic abuse in the last year, down from 8.9% in the 2004/05 survey. While the latest estimate is not statistically significantly different from recent years, it is the lowest since these questions were first asked in 2004/05.
The 2014/15 CSEW also estimates that 0.3% of adults aged 16 to 59 had been a victim of rape (including attempts) in the last year. Due to the low number of respondents to the survey that have been a victim of this crime, it is not possible to say whether this estimate differs from surveys conducted in other years. However, prevalence of less serious sexual assault has fallen from 2.3% in the 2004/05 CSEW to 1.5% in the 2014/15 survey.
Data from the CSEW cannot be disaggregated by ethnicity, nor by the relationship between the perpetrator and the victim.